G. Love & Special Sauce

Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad

Sat, November 10, 2012

Doors: 8:00 pm / Show: 9:00 pm

State Theatre

Portland, ME

$20 advance / $25 day of show

This event is all ages

Buy tickets in person at the Cumberland County Civic Center Box Office, charge by phone at 800-745-3000 and online at www.statetheatreportland.com The State Theatre Box Office will be open one hour before doors on night of show.

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G. Love & Special Sauce is an alternative blues band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Formed in 1992, the group (Garrett Dutton, better known as G. Love, Jeffrey Clemens on drums, Mark Boyce on keyboards, and Timo Shanko on bass) are known for their unique "laid back" blues sound.

The group released their first album; self titled, in 1994 on Okeh/Epic, a subsidiary of Sony Music. On the strength of the single "Cold Beverage", in part due to MTV rotation, the album nearly went gold. After which, trying to capitalize on the success of the album, the group toured heavily, eventually landing a spot on the H.O.R.D.E. tour.

In 1995 they released their follow up album Coast to Coast Motel. Though it did not sell as well as the first album, it is generally considered among critics as the stronger of the two albums.

On tour following the release of the second album the group nearly broke up, due to bickering of finances. Deciding on a hiatus the three members went their separate ways, working on various side projects.

By October 1997 the group had reconciled their differences and released their third album, Yeah, It's That Easy, which along with their own work, showcased their collaboration with several other bands and musicians, including All Fellas Band, Philly Cartel, King's Court, and Dr. John. This soul-influenced album showed to be similar with their debut album then previous release.

Soon after G. Love & Special Sauce set out on another world tour, returning to Philadelphia in 1999 for the release of their fourth album, Philadelphonic. Philadelphonic was followed up with Electric Mile in 2001, an album that shows the wide-ranging influences of the group, incorporating hip-hop, funk, psychedlia, blues, and soul in equal and ambitious measure.

For over six years, Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad’s live show has defined the band. Touring relentlessly, the Rochester, NY-based group is sustained by its passion to reinterpret, explore, and expand its music night after night.

After the 2006 release of their debut album, Slow Down, GPGDS hit the road and never looked back. In April 2012, they released their first electric studio album in six years, In These Times. This is the quintet’s second release on the California-based label Controlled Substance Sound Labs.

In These Times consists of 12 tracks that showcase Giant Panda’s psychedelic reggae sound. Bassist James Searl, guitarist Dylan Savage, and guitarist Dan Keller trade off songwriting and lead vocal duties, with backup vocals provided by drummer Chris O’Brian, and multi-instrumentalist Aaron Lipp. The album was mixed by Atlanta-based producer Billy Hume (Nas, STS9, Ludacris, Josh Ritter), and dubbed by the band’s long-time engineer Joel Scanlon.

In These Times explores a variety of emotions and themes, from the feel good, sing along vibe of “Change You,” to the political anthem “Pockets.” Guests on the album include Hawaii’s The Green, contributing backup vocals on “All Night Music,” and John Brown’s Body’s horn section on “Next Best Explosion,” and “Healing.” “I think it would be fair to say that this is the album that long-time Panda fans have been waiting for” says Chris O’Brian.

In These Times follows the bands’ lyrically-driven roots Americana album, Country (released January 31, 2012). Combining acoustic instrumentation including slide guitar, banjo, harmonica, upright piano, percussion, and bass,Country showcases songs as they were first created: on the road, riding in the van, and jamming backstage. “Like early Wilco, with a healthy powdering of the stuff that made Gram Parsons’ music so deeply moving, “Country” is a gorgeous collection of Americana ditties.” – The Buffalo News